Tuesday was a bit more fraught than planned

The failure of the landscapers to move snow, see management's story on this.  

Possibly quite true, but I saw only two guys working. Both white. I think our nice Guatemalan crews, lived and worked here for decades, many with family refugee status from the 80s, I remember, were afraid to come in.  Here's management speaking 

Speaking of ICE, please sign up for Chop Wood Carry Water newsletter. Jess Craven produces it at Substack, https://substack.com.

It's packed with well researched information and suggestions on actions to take. I've forwarded today's email to several people who may want to do some of the actions 

I emailed the CEOs of Enterprise car rentals, Target who are letting ICE stage in their parking lots, and Hilton who are housing them.

And I emailed both my senators to remind them to vote NO on funding DHS, which contains ICE.  About the crypto Bill, my senator on the committee, Cory Booker, is already on side about it, I was in touch last week.
 

Now that Minneapolis has scored a bit of victory is the time to push harder, not let up. This is where we can crush it. 

Do it for Renee. Do it for Alex. Do it for Keith. Who? He was a Black man killed in the street LA a few days before Renee in Minneapolis. Notice most of us only heard of the white people. 

If you've never done this kind of protest before, now's the time. Hilton is international, so you can aim for your own segment and email. The other issues are pretty much a US responsibility.

Then Handsome Son got his bumper torn off last night in the work parking lot, I don't know the deets, but it was an ice rink with mountains of snow. So he spent the day dealing with insurers, body shop, dealer, fitted in a dentist appointment to all this. He's now driving with his license plate on the dash. I was very anxious about whether he could manage, but as often, he showed me he certainly can cope. 

I didn't go to my knitting group, despite having a ride, because the ice and frozen snow between my door and the nearest spot to pick me up made it a hazard I thought I wouldn't risk. See the hazard in question. The road is out there beyond the mounds.

And the severe cold doesn't work for me too well. After complaints and pictures to management they finally cleared the lot this evening.

I did finish the cowl and modeled it for you.

It can be worn with one button fastened, like a collar, or two or all,  whatever the wearer likes. I hope she does like it.

Then this evening Gary called urgently in search of aspirin. Chest pain, digging snow, his doctor said two aspirin right  away. So I found and provided them and will call in a while to check.  After a little chat he felt better. I think it was mainly muscle strain and fear, but I'll check anyway.

I have not responded yet to a lot of your comments, and  I think you see why. 

But there's always room for a light note. Here's one

Happy day everyone, let's all do our bit. This is the bit of history we're called on to live through and do our part.  

Snow aftermath, and knitted buttons

The plowing not having happened a lot -- I suspect crews are afraid to come to work, neighbors are digging out today. I just get to watch.

No dog in this fight, nor car in this lot.

The lighted plow was out before dawn. I was up early and noticed I'd had the last breakfast bar today, so I baked a batch.

Pre dawn cooking is becoming a thing 

I plan to knit or crochet buttons for the cowl, and crochet a band with openings for them to fit through.

Here's the crocheted buttons in progress. Chain 15, work back, roll up, stitch, done. 

And defluff the cotton seeds.

Meanwhile I'm rereading 

I love Mary Wesley's detached style, and reread her when I can. I used to have a collection of paperbacks but gave them away when the print mysteriously went small.

Happy day everyone, let's do what we said we would to resist, and support our sisters and brothers in Minnesota who are doing the heavy lifting. 

Right now we're all Minnesotans sez Ted and Big Ursy 

and Iceoutfluffina

And release the Epstein files 

Life is a sacred text and other urgent thoughts

Today's been about snow and cold, still snowing till later tonight.

It's also involved comfort food,

 and afternoon tea 

I've been reading Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg's newsletter and studies for a while. Today she reminded us that Jewish rules take a pause when life is at stake. 

Go to her website LifeIsaSacredText.com for useful tasks we can do. For instance, she has compiled lists by volunteers of hotels and motels housing ICE in the Minneapolis area. I'm including some phone numbers you can call to object.  

These are just a few, off a spreadsheet I can't get onto my little device, as a sample. Samples of hotel names, not matched with numbers, just fyi. Just to show part of the range.

She reminds us, when we call, that the person answering the phone didn't make the decision, so ask for a manager or leave a message for them. If it's a chain, the manager also probably didn't decide either, but they need to get some pressure. The desk clerk isn't paid to be pressured, so apply where appropriate.

There are also maps on her website showing local businesses all over the US profiting from ICE, so it's worth checking. I'm looking at local ones to me,  ready to call or email when they reopen, probably not tomorrow, everything's at a standstill here with the snow. 

Anyone can do this. Pressure adds up. Businesses can't be allowed to fly under the radar while profiting from terror.

Rabbi Danya is a scholar and all-around lovely person, and you can sign up for her newsletter full of wisdom and calm.

Meanwhile on a calmer note, I finished and washed the cowl and will be adding buttons and loops when it's dry.

I finished spinning the cotton, and painted the seed casings gold.  This has been a good adventure in learning.  I'm thinking about how to use the spun cotton, maybe in a whistle lanyard. We'll see. 

See the cotton casings among the citrus peel boxes! Nature provides great materials.

Happy day everyone. Please let's do what we can to overthrow this reign of terror. It's now or never. 

Speaking of trans siblings: did you know the Democrats succeeded in stripping out every single anti-trans clause in the upcoming Budget? You won't hear this on mainstream media. But yay!

Kitties and textiles of yore

While I was editing, I came across these old pictures of the dynamic duo assisting in the textile studio.

Just to show my helpers at work.

There was a Hajii Baba Rug Club presentation today by Jacqueline Simcox, researcher, writer and dealer in early Asian textiles, of which I selected a few images, the captions not needing any help from me. She wrote the book in the first slide.  

Many of the works she showed included pearl rondels - those circle shapes around the borders of a lot of Asian woven garments and hangings, and animals. 

There were interesting versions of lions by weavers who had probably never seen them, but, undaunted, they did them anyway. Their mythical animals such as dragons, including the five clawed imperial dragon, were more assured. 

wonderful rendering of flowers here

This is a meditative mandala

yellow being the imperial color, this was a court garment

and here a diagram for people unfamiliar with embroidery, of the stitches used in the last piece

The last piece is an archery armguard, probably only symbolic, maybe for funerary rites. Actual armguards would have been leather. This one depicts the winged horse Pegasus, made a thousand years after the story originated, this one even with the snake from which Pegasus was born.

A lot of color has faded, purple fading to brown, reds sometimes vanishing, but indigo tends to persist. Where pieces have been kept away from light, the colors are vivid, madder red included.

More humbly, my home cotton spinning is in progress. The last time I tried to spin cotton from, probably over processed, roving, it was impossible. 

Two other, more experienced, spinners had given up on it before it came to me. I ended up using it to stuff comfort dolls, since it was clean and nice to handle. 

But my own minimally processed cotton is working fine. The thread has nups here and there, little lumps, but I'm not going for perfection, to put it mildly.

Happy day, everyone.  

Very cold here, snow due tonight, meanwhile I'm making soup. Stock from veggie bits, potatoes, red lentils, later I'll blend, then add chicken bones from those thighs a couple of weeks ago, take them out,retrieving any meat, then add pasta. 

And I've been reading about Christianna  Brand for a while so I'm trying an e-book.

Stay warm if applicable, stand with Minnesota 

Sez Ted and Big Ursy